Liquid crystal clad fibers

Abstract

Fibers are clad with a responsive liquid crystal material and a polymer. The clad fibers may be useful for advanced textiles and wearable sensors.

1 . A clad fiber comprising:
 a core;   liquid crystals; and   a polymeric sheath.   
     
     
         2 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the core is a monofilament core. 
     
     
         3 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the core has a diameter in the range of from about 0.1 mm to about 0.3 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystals comprise a mixture of cholesteric liquid crystals. 
     
     
         5 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises cholesteryl nonanoate, cholesteryl oleyl carbonate, and cholesteryl chloride. 
     
     
         6 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric sheath comprises polyvinylpyrrolidone. 
     
     
         7 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a polyamide. 
     
     
         8 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystals are present in a liquid crystal layer located between the core and the sheath. 
     
     
         9 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystals are in the form of cholesteric liquid crystal spheres inhomogeneously distributed in the polymer sheath. 
     
     
         10 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the core is a flattened core. 
     
     
         11 . The clad fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer sheath comprises a two-component epoxy of a photocurable glue. 
     
     
         12 . A wearable sensor comprising the clad fiber of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A process for producing a fiber comprising:
 applying liquid crystals to a core; an   applying a polymeric sheath to the core.   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the process is a continuous process. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 drawing the core through a coating apparatus;   wherein the liquid crystals are applied by feeding the liquid crystals to the coating apparatus at a first inlet; and   wherein the polymeric sheath is applied by feeding a polymer composition to the coating apparatus at a second inlet downstream of the first inlet.   
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein polymer composition is an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 drying the applied polymer composition.   
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 flattening the core prior to the application of the liquid crystals and polymer sheath.   
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein the coating apparatus comprises a capillary tube. 
     
     
         20 . A process for producing a fiber comprising:
 applying a composition comprising liquid crystals and a polymeric material to a core; and   drying the composition.